impermeable

[ im-pur-mee-uh-buhl ]
See synonyms for impermeable on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. not permeable; impassable.

  2. Chemistry, Geology. (of porous substances, rocks, etc.) not permitting the passage of a fluid through the pores, interstices, etc.

Origin of impermeable

1
From the Late Latin word impermeābilis, dating back to 1690–1700. See im-2, permeable

Other words from impermeable

  • im·per·me·a·bil·i·ty, im·per·me·a·ble·ness, noun
  • im·per·me·a·bly, adverb

Words that may be confused with impermeable

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British Dictionary definitions for impermeable

impermeable

/ (ɪmˈpɜːmɪəbəl) /


adjective
  1. (of a substance) not allowing the passage of a fluid through interstices; not permeable

Derived forms of impermeable

  • impermeability or impermeableness, noun
  • impermeably, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for impermeable

impermeable

[ ĭm-pûrmē-ə-bəl ]


  1. Relating to a material through which substances, such as liquids or gases, cannot pass. Some substances, such as some types of contact lenses, are permeable to gas but impermeable to liquid.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.